The short answer. Serum: glass or PETG bottle, 18/400 or 20/400 neck, dropper or treatment pump, airless if the actives oxidise. Facial oil: amber glass, 18/400 or 20/400, silicone-bulb dropper. Cream: glass or PP jar with inner lid, foil seal and spatula, or an airless pump for retinol and peptide creams. Toner or essence: PET below about 30% ethanol, glass or PETG above it, flip-top, orifice reducer or fine-mist sprayer. Formula-compatibility failures are avoided by three hard rules and one test: ethanol above about 30% never goes in PET, pH below 4 goes in glass or PP with a 316-stainless or plastic pump spring, oxygen-sensitive actives get a barrier (amber glass, airless or a 5-layer EVOH tube with oxygen transmission around 0.2-1.2 against 150-300 for mono PE), and every component is held with your actual bulk at 48°C for 30 days before the golden sample is signed. Stock components start at around 500 pieces undecorated and around 2,000 printed; a stock 3-SKU launch is realistically 50-62 days door to door.
Seven skincare formulas, one recommendation each.
Read the row for your product. The material is decided by what the bulk does chemically; the closure by viscosity; the neck finish by which stock components are already tooled at partner factories. The last column is the reason, so you can defend the choice when a designer proposes something prettier. Full matrix on the compatibility reference; neck notation on the neck finish reference.
| Formula | Format & material | Closure / dispenser | Neck finish | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serum (water-based, viscosity under ~100 mPa·s to light gel) | Glass (high-flint, amber or frosted) or PETG bottle, 15-50 ml; airless PP/PETG 15-50 ml if the actives are oxygen-sensitive | Glass pipette dropper with silicone bulb; or treatment pump 0.15-0.2 cc per stroke; airless pump 0.05 ml repeatability | 18/400, 20/400 (glass dropper); 18/415 tall-neck dropper; airless uses its own collar | Water-thin bulks leak through weak seals and need dose control; glass gives the barrier, PETG gives glass clarity at lower weight and breakage |
| Facial oil (100% oil phase, often with essential oils) | Amber glass 15-30 ml (blocks UV below ~450 nm); PP if plastic is required | Dropper with silicone bulb (TPE bulbs swell in oils); orifice-reducer plug with tamper-ring cap for pour formats | 18/400, 20/400; tubular vial Ø10-Ø30 for 5-10 ml roll-on | Oils and essential oils attack AS, craze PMMA and swell standard NBR/TPE gaskets; low surface tension creeps past loose threads, so tight engagement and a proven gasket matter |
| Cream / moisturiser (2,000-50,000 mPa·s emulsion) | Glass or PP wide-mouth jar 30-100 ml with inner lid, foil seal and spatula; acrylic (PMMA) jar only with a PP inner cup; airless PP/PETG 30-50 ml for anti-ageing actives | Screw cap with disc liner; airless pump 0.5-1.0 cc per stroke | Wide-mouth Ø43, Ø48, Ø63, Ø70; airless collar | Scoop access for thick creams; jars give the best shelf presence and the worst hygiene after opening, which is why the inner lid and seal are not optional; airless cuts residue to near zero |
| Toner / essence (watery, may carry alcohol) | PET bottle 100-200 ml if ethanol is below ~30%; glass or alcohol-rated PETG above ~30% | Flip-top or screw cap with small-orifice PE/PP reducer plug; fine-mist sprayer 0.1-0.2 ml per shot; SUS304 spring | 20/410, 24/410 plastic; 18/400, 20/400 glass; sprayer 12.5-24 mm matched to the neck | PET is the cheapest clear bottle and fails above ~30% ethanol; sprayer gaskets and dip tubes must be checked against the alcohol level, not just the bottle |
| Eye cream (light emulsion or gel, small dose) | Airless PP/PETG 10-20 ml; or 15 ml glass or PP jar; or 5-layer EVOH tube Ø19-Ø25 with applicator tip | Airless pump 0.15-0.2 cc; roll-on or ceramic-tip applicator; nozzle cap on tube | Airless collar; tube Ø19, Ø22, Ø25; jar Ø33, Ø38 | Small daily dose and a formula applied near the eye: hygiene and dose control matter more than shelf drama; airless suits 10-100 ml and small volumes best |
| SPF / sunscreen (mineral or chemical filters, viscous emulsion) | 5-layer EVOH or ABL tube 30-100 ml; airless PP 30-50 ml; PP or HDPE tottle | Flip-top or screw tube cap; airless pump 0.5-1.0 cc; disc-top on tottle | Tube Ø25-Ø40; airless collar; 24/410 tottle | Filters and emollients oxidise and migrate: a laminate or co-extruded barrier keeps them stable; PET and AS are poor choices for high-emollient SPF; compatibility must be run on the actual filter system |
| Acid and retinol actives (AHA/BHA at pH below 4; retinol, vitamin C) | pH below 4: glass or PP, never a metal-spring pump path; oxygen-sensitive: amber or opaque glass, airless, or 5-layer EVOH tube | Flip-top or orifice reducer for acid waters; pump with 316 stainless or plastic spring, or spring outside the fluid path; airless for retinol and vitamin C | 18/400, 20/400 glass; airless collar; tube Ø19-Ø30 | Acid corrodes standard pump springs and etches some plating; oxygen turns vitamin C brown, and EVOH at oxygen transmission ~0.2-1.2 versus ~150-300 for mono PE is two orders of magnitude of difference; a clear PET dropper bottle is the format most likely to fail |
In one line: serum = glass or PETG plus dropper or pump; oil = amber glass plus silicone dropper; cream = glass or PP jar with inner lid, or airless; toner = PET or glass plus flip-top or sprayer; eye cream = small airless; SPF = barrier tube or airless; acids = glass or PP with no metal spring in the fluid path. Where a brief lands outside these, the rules below take over.
Six compatibility rules that override the mood board.
Each rule has a failure mode behind it that has cost a brand a batch, a launch or a recall. If your formula meets one of these conditions, the material is decided before we talk about finish. A supplier who has not asked your alcohol percentage, pH and key actives before quoting a bottle has quoted a shape, not a package.
| Condition | What goes wrong | Rule | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethanol above ~30% (toners, essences, some serums) | PET swells, hazes and deforms; standard pump gaskets and dropper bulbs soften | Glass or alcohol-rated PETG; PTFE-coated or solvent-grade gaskets; write ethanol resistance into the spec (e.g. at least 50%) | A PET bottle approved for a >30% alcohol serum swelled in the market and triggered a full-line recall |
| Acetone, essential oils, fragrance concentrates | Dissolve or swell PET, PS, AS and PMMA; corrode AS gaskets; extract plasticisers; lift ordinary inks | Glass first; PP or HDPE where plastic is required; silicone or fluoroelastomer gaskets; test every dropper bulb and roll-on housing | AS is a good clear bottle for water-based lotions and a poor one for anything oil- or fragrance-heavy |
| pH below 4 (AHA/BHA toners, peels, some vitamin C waters) | Acid corrodes standard pump springs and etches some coatings and plating | Glass or PP; pump with 316 stainless or plastic spring, or spring outside the fluid path; flip-top or orifice reducer as the low-risk closure | A serum programme that never wrote acid resistance into the glass spec saw bottles corrode and crack in mass production |
| Oxygen-sensitive actives (vitamin C, retinol, peptides) | Oxidation: browning, loss of potency, odour | 5-layer co-extruded EVOH tube, oxygen transmission ~0.2-1.2 against ~150-300 for single-layer PE; amber or opaque glass; airless pump; nitrogen flush on the filling line where possible | EVOH performs best at 15-20 µm; the tube choice matters more than the cap |
| Acrylic (PMMA) jars and bottles | PMMA must not touch the bulk; oils and alcohol craze and cloud it | Always with a PP inner cup or inner bottle; the acrylic is the outer shell only | An acrylic jar quoted 'without liner' is a quote for a different product |
| Nickel and chrome plating | Nickel is a contact allergen; plating on skin-contact or bulk-contact surfaces is a complaint and regulatory risk | Plated parts never contact skin or bulk: plate the outer shell, keep the inner cup, dip tube and applicator in PP or ABS; request nickel-release data for EU markets | The plated cap can be beautiful; the plated applicator cannot be shipped |
The 48°C / 30-day compatibility protocol.
Rules of thumb catch most problems. The test catches the rest: the specific pump spring that corrodes in your specific acid, the specific ink that lifts at your specific alcohol level. It runs before the golden sample is signed and is repeated when the formula, the resin grade or the decoration changes. It sits inside the four inspection gates on our QC standards page.
| Test | Method | Pass criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerated compatibility (core) | Component filled with your actual bulk; 48°C for 30 days, humidity controlled; parallel 25°C and −15°C to 5°C controls; minimum 3 units per condition | No discolouration, odour change, swelling, warping, cracking or stress whitening; no decoration delamination; weight loss ≤0.5% for volatile bulks; no migration either way; no pump priming or dose drift |
| Decoration colour migration | Decorated component immersed in 75% ethanol at 48°C for 12 hours | No colour into the solvent; no lifting or softening of print, hot-stamp or spray coating |
| Seal integrity | Filled unit at 45°C for 24 hours inverted and on its side; vacuum −0.08 MPa for 15 minutes for volatile bulks, −0.06 MPa for standard | No weep at neck, cap or pump; weight loss ≤0.5%; no bulk trace outside the seal area |
| Freeze-thaw cycling | 3-5 cycles between −15°C and 48°C, 24 hours per stage, 2 hours recovery | No cracking, warping or leakage; emulsion stability noted for the formulator |
| Dispenser function in bulk | 50 strokes × 3 after conditioning in the bulk; dose weighed | Priming ≤5 strokes aqueous, ≤10 non-aqueous; output ≥95% aqueous / ≥90% non-aqueous; no leak-back; spring shows no corrosion after 30 days |
| Migration, heavy metals | Third-party laboratory (CNAS / CMA / ISO 17025); we help you connect, it is not an in-house claim | REACH SVHC and phthalates; Pb+Cd+Hg+Cr(VI) ≤100 ppm (EU 94/62/EC); USP Class VI where the market asks |
Timing. The 30-day core test is the longest single item in a launch schedule. Start it on the first structurally approved sample, not on the pre-production sample, or it adds a month. When a brief arrives with under 60 days to a fixed date we run the 30-day test in parallel with decoration approval and tell you in writing which results are still outstanding at each gate. A compatibility pass is a packaging result, not a regulatory approval of your product; formula stability and safety assessment stay with your formulator and assessor.
Airless pump specifications, for serums and active creams.
An airless bottle has no dip tube. The pump group is a one-way seal: each stroke expels product and blocks air from returning, so a piston at the base is pushed up by atmospheric pressure to follow the product. The friction between piston and inner wall is the core of the design and the first thing qualified in QC. Full test sheet on the airless and pump reference; product range on airless bottles.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Capacities | 10-100 ml; the format relies on atmospheric pressure so it suits smaller volumes; 15-50 ml is the skincare sweet spot |
| Materials | PP or PETG body; PP piston; outer sleeve in PETG, AS or PMMA where the outer needs metallising or spray (the outer never touches bulk) |
| Dose | Repeatable to about 0.05 ml; 0.15-0.2 cc for eye and serum, 0.5-1.0 cc for cream; single stroke ±15%, run average within 5-10% of specified |
| Priming | First output within ≤8 strokes (coloured water) or ≤10 strokes (lotion), bottle filled three-quarters |
| Vacuum leak | −0.08 MPa for 15 min, loss ≤0.5% (full test); −0.05 MPa for 5 min quick check; −0.06 MPa for standard emulsions, −0.08 MPa for volatile formulas |
| Inner-to-outer pull | ≥50 N without separation; inner plug retention ≥30 N; thread clearance 0.1-0.8 mm |
| Service life | ≥1,500 continuous actuations; actuator returns in ≤3 s |
| Structures | Standard single body; single-bottle composite (decorative outer sleeve); twin-bottle for two-phase formulas; non-piston self-sealing valve for mono-material projects |
| Cost and MOQ | Roughly 2-4× a standard lotion pump set-up, residue near zero; stock airless floor around 10,000 pieces, 20-30 days factory gate |
MOQ, tooling and lead time, component by component.
A minimum attaches to each component geometry, not the finished unit: a pump bottle is a bottle, a pump and an overcap, often from three plants with three minimums. The figures below are working floors at partner factories already tooled for small runs, alongside the published single-factory industry floor of 5,000-10,000 per item. Route logic is on low MOQ packaging; the calendar is on the lead-time reference.
| Component | Working minimum | Tooling (if private mould) | Lead time, factory gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock glass bottle or jar, undecorated | From about 500 pieces (stock in warehouse); low thousands on a public mould run | None; made-to-order glass 30,000-200,000 pcs, mould approx. USD 555 per cavity, USD 2,200-4,450 for a 4-8 cavity set | 7-10 days if in stock; glass run 30-60 days |
| Stock PET / PETG / PP bottle or jar | From about 500 undecorated; 2,000 with screen-printed logo | None; new injection or blow mould RMB 25,000-70,000 (approx. USD 3,500-9,700), paid 30/40/30, rated 800,000 cycles, owned by the brand | 7-25 days; +5-7 days for print or hot-stamp |
| Sprayed custom colour on any of the above | 2,000-5,000 per component shape; different shapes cannot be hung and sprayed together | None; colour-matching set-up per shape | 30-40 days |
| Dropper assembly (cap, collar, pipette, bulb) | From about 500 in stock colours; 2,000-5,000 sprayed or anodised collar | Stock tooling; private pipette or collar shape is rarely worth it | 7-25 days; anodised aluminium 25-40 days |
| Lotion or treatment pump | Stock pumps from low thousands; custom colour actuator 2,000-5,000 | About eleven parts per pump, so new tooling is expensive; stock is the default | 7-25 days |
| Airless bottle, stock | Around 10,000 | Private airless is a full 90-120 day programme | 20-30 days |
| Tube (mono PE or 5-layer EVOH) | 5,000-10,000 per SKU; 3,000 negotiable; ±10% over/under delivery is industry practice | Print plates approx. USD 28-42 (RMB 200-300) | 15-20 days |
| Electroplated or custom-colour closure | Around 10,000; this floor does not move through anyone | None (racking) | 25-40 days including plating queue |
| Folding carton | 2,000-5,000; digital labels and sleeves from about 100 | Cutting die, low cost | 10-15 days after artwork approval |
Buffer. Multiply any quoted cycle by 1.3 and add 15 days if it crosses Chinese New Year (6 February 2027). Then add freight: typically 18-25 days by sea to the US West Coast, 30-35 to Northern Europe, 20-25 to Australia, 3-7 days by air, plus 5-10 days for clearance at each end. Empty packaging only: filling, filled-goods stability and dangerous-goods shipping remain the brand's responsibility.
Decoration options and what each does to your minimum.
Screen print, hot stamp, pad print and laser barely move MOQ because the set-up is a screen or a plate. Spray coating, electroplating, metallising and anodising drive it because a line has to be set up, run and cleaned down for you. Keep screen-print plus hot-stamp to two passes or fewer. Thirteen processes are compared on the decoration reference.
| Process | Suits | Indicative add-on | Effect on MOQ | Adhesion check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | Glass, PET, PETG, PP, tubes | Glass approx. USD 0.014 per colour per bottle; cylinder = one colour, shaped = two or more | Almost none | 3M 600 tape, 10 passes, pulled at 45°, ink loss under 0.5 mm² |
| Hot stamping | Plastic, glass, cartons | Glass approx. USD 0.055 per design; about 1,000 pieces per hour | Small; plate is a modest one-off | 3M 600 tape; no ghosting on 10-25% of the image, no serrated edges |
| Spray coating (opaque, gradient, matte, soft-touch) | Glass, PETG, PP after flame treatment | Glass approx. USD 0.07-0.15 per bottle depending on area and colour difficulty | 2,000-5,000 per shape | 3M 810 over 2 mm cross-hatch; pencil hardness ≥2H; 16 named coating defects |
| Frosting (acid etch) | Glass | Per bottle by size | Moderate | Frost stops below the thread root; bright-spot limits per face |
| Vacuum metallising | Caps, collars, airless outer sleeves | Medium; about 6 hours per cycle, no tooling | Set-up drives MOQ | 3M 810 over cross-hatch; base and top coat required |
| Anodising | Aluminium dropper collars, overcaps | Medium-high; HV300 standard film, HV500 hard | Batch colour matching; second batch rarely matches without a control sample | Colour at ΔE under D65 against the signed golden sample |
| Electroplating | ABS caps and outer shells only | Medium-high; 30+ metals | Around 10,000 | 3M 810 cross-hatch; never on skin- or bulk-contact parts; no nickel on touch surfaces |
| Full-wrap label or shrink sleeve | Any stock bottle | Full-colour artwork from about 100-500 pieces | Lowest of all routes | Rub and 75% alcohol wipe; position tolerance agreed |
The matched-collection trap. Six formats in one custom colour is six spray set-ups, and moulded-in white does not match sprayed white. If the first order is under the spray floors, put the brand into a label and a printed carton, keep the components in stock colours, and move to sprayed colour on the reorder.
A typical 3-SKU launch bill of packaging.
A North American skincare label launching a serum, a face oil and a moisturiser at 2,000 units each, first order, stock shapes, brand in decoration and carton. This is the shape of the bill we send back with a quote; unit prices are quoted per project and depend on glass grade, wall thickness, pump specification and freight, so the ranges here are the add-ons, tooling and timings that do not change much between quotes.
| SKU | Components (each a separate minimum) | Working minimum | Indicative decoration add-on | Tooling | Factory-gate cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serum 30 ml | High-flint or frosted glass bottle 20/400; dropper cap with anodised aluminium collar, glass pipette, silicone bulb; folding carton | Bottle ~500 stock; dropper ~500 stock colours; carton 2,000 | Screen print 1 colour approx. USD 0.014 per bottle; frosting per bottle by size; carton hot-stamp per design | None (stock mould) | Stock 7-25 days + print 5-7 days; anodised collar 25-40 days runs in parallel |
| Face oil 15 ml | Amber glass bottle 18/400; dropper cap with black PP or anodised collar, silicone bulb; carton | Bottle ~500 stock; dropper ~500; carton 2,000 | Screen print 1 colour approx. USD 0.014; or full-wrap label from ~100 | None | 7-25 days + 5-7 days print |
| Moisturiser 50 ml | Glass jar Ø63 or PP jar; PP inner lid; foil seal; PP or ABS cap; spatula; carton | Jar ~500 stock; cap 2,000 sprayed or ~500 stock colour; carton 2,000 | Sprayed cap colour 2,000-5,000 floor, USD 0.07-0.15-class add-on; screen print approx. USD 0.014 per colour; hot-stamp approx. USD 0.055 per design | None; a private jar mould would be RMB 25,000-70,000 and 90-120 days, not justified at 2,000 | Stock 7-25 days; sprayed cap 30-40 days |
| Whole launch | 9-11 component minimums across 4-5 partner factories, consolidated into one shipment | 6,000 finished sets; 2,000 per SKU | Decoration per SKU typically under USD 0.10-0.20 per unit on the routes above | USD 0 tooling on stock; USD 3,500-9,700 per new mould if you insist on a private shape | Quoted 21-27 days; buffered ×1.3 = 27-35 days; + sea 18-25 days to US West Coast + 5-10 days clearance = 50-62 days door to door |
What we would advise this brand. Run the 48°C / 30-day test on the serum and oil droppers with the actual bulks first, because the dropper bulb is the weak point for oils and actives; keep the moisturiser cap in a stock colour on the first order and move to sprayed colour at the reorder when the 2,000-5,000 floor per shape is comfortable; confirm the golden samples and pay the deposit by the first week of December if goods are needed in the US before the end of March 2027. Small runs cost 20-40% more per unit than the 5,000-10,000 floor; the way to spend that money well is on the shape and the label, not on a plated cap.
How the six-module program applies to skincare packaging.
Every project runs through the same six modules and each one ends in a document you can read. For skincare, the modules where most of the risk sits are Spec and Sample: the material decision and the compatibility test. Ownership and inspection are described on how we work and the factory audit checklist.
| Module | What we do for skincare | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Spec | Take formula type, viscosity, pH, ethanol %, key actives and target dose; fix material, format, neck finish (18/400, 20/400, 24/410, Ø63) and dispenser per SKU; write the hard rules into the drawing | Packaging Spec Sheet |
| 2 Source | Route each component to the partner factory already tooled for small runs; quote stock, stock-plus-decoration and private-mould options with the real minimum per component | Quote + Supplier Options |
| 3 Sample | Physical samples of every component as a set; 48°C / 30-day test with your actual bulk, 75% ethanol 12-hour decoration check, 45°C 24-hour seal hold; pump priming and dose weighed | Golden Sample + Compatibility Report |
| 4 Mould | Only where volume justifies it: DFM review, 30/40/30 payment tied to design sign-off, ownership with the brand, capacity 120%, price ±10% and second-source clauses | Mould Ownership Agreement |
| 5 QC | IQC on pumps and droppers before they reach the line, IPQC, FQC against the golden sample, OQC to agreed AQL; vacuum leak −0.08 MPa, 3M tape adhesion, 48°C / −15°C cycling, 1.5 m drop, colour at ΔE under D65 | Inspection Report |
| 6 Ship | Ten-node calendar with ×1.3 buffer and CNY +15 days; glass in suspended trays rated ≥200 kg to ISTA 3A, breakage target ≤0.3%; components from 4-5 factories consolidated into one shipment | Production Calendar + Packing Standard |
One partner, six modules, published numbers.
Vella is a Guangzhou-based beauty packaging solutions provider that helps indie and emerging cosmetic brands specify, source, sample, tool, quality-control and ship complete packaging systems — bottles, jars, tubes, pumps, closures and cartons — from vetted Chinese partner factories operating to ISO 22716 / GMP, with published engineering standards and low minimums.
We are a sourcing partner, not the plant: forming, decoration, pumps and cartons usually come from different specialist factories, and our job is to hold all of them to one specification, one golden sample and one inspection report. The numbers on this page are the working thresholds we write into that specification; the full method is on how we work.
Frequently asked
All solutions · Fragrance & home fragrance · Makeup · Haircare & bodycare · Sustainable & refill · Indie brand launch · How to evaluate a Chinese packaging supplier
The questions brands ask us most.
- Acrylic vs Glass vs PP Cream Jar: Which Is Right for a Moisturiser, and Why PMMA Needs a Liner
- Airless Pump Bottle MOQ and Lead Time from China (2026): Real Numbers by Route
- Airless Pump Bottles from China: A Sourcing Guide for Indie Skincare Brands
- Airless vs Regular Pump Bottle for Serum: Which Should an Indie Brand Choose?
- Airless vs Tube for Sunscreen: Dose, UV Protection, Cost and MOQ
- Airless vs Dropper vs Jar vs Tube: Which Packaging for Your Serum, Cream or Oil
- Cosmetic & Cream Jars from China: A Sourcing Guide for Skincare Brands
- Cosmetic Jar MOQ and Lead Time from China (2026): Acrylic, Glass and PP by Route
- Custom Glass Cosmetic Bottle Mould Cost and MOQ: Why the Floor Is 30,000 Pieces
- 30 ml Glass Dropper Bottle MOQ from China: Stock, Printed, Sprayed and Custom
Not sure what to specify? Use the Packaging Spec Builder — formula, volume, quantity and launch date in, a 12-line spec sheet with MOQ verdict and order-by date out.
Send the formulas. We send back the bill of packaging.
Tell us the products, viscosity, pH, ethanol percentage, key actives and the quantity per SKU. Your quote comes with the format logic, the real minimum per component, the compatibility test plan and a buffered calendar.
Related reading.
- Packaging solutions hub — every category solution page in one place.
- Makeup packaging solutions — lipstick mechanisms, lip gloss, compacts and foundation bottles without a private mould.
- Formula × packaging compatibility matrix — the eight formula types and nine hard rules behind the table above.
- Airless, pump and sprayer specifications — the full test sheet for dispensers.
- QC standards with the numbers — the four gates and laboratory battery every order passes.
- Real minimum order quantities, by route — stock, decorated and private-mould minimums per component.
- Perfume bottle supplier — if the range includes a fragrance or body oil in crimp or screw glass.
- Send a brief — formula, quantity and date; quote within 24 hours.